WHO urges exit screening in countries with Ebola

Aug. 18, 2014
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Kenyan health officials take passengers' temperatures as they arrive at the Jommo Kenyatta International Airport on Aug. 14, 2014, in Nairobi. The World Health Organization classified Kenya as a high-risk area for transmission of the deadly Ebola virus. / Simon Maina, AFP/Getty Images

by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

The World Health Organization announced Monday that it is urging countries affected by Ebola to "conduct exit screening at international airports, seaports and land crossings."

"Any person with an illness consistent with (Ebola) should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation," the WHO said. "There should be no international travel of Ebola contacts or cases, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation."

The recommendation came from a task force that includes health officials, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a branch of the United Nations that makes recommendations; the International Air Transport Association representing 240 airlines and Airports Council International.

The group said it doesn't recommend any ban on international travel or trade. And active screening isn't needed at airports that don't share borders with affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

"The risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low," the WHO said.

Ebola has killed 1,145 people so far and the outbreak is expanding. But health officials stressed that the disease is difficult to transmit and not a risk to transportation generally.

Ebola isn't spread through breathing the air, like influenza or tuberculosis. Ebola is spread by direct contact with blood or other fluids from an infected person.

The disease usually incubates for two to 21 days in an infected person. Initial symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash and bleeding.

Health officials and airlines had been reluctant to conduct screenings because symptoms can be similar to other illnesses. Earlier attempts at screening for other diseases found few cases.

During the SARS outbreak in 2003, the WHO recommended screening passengers with questionnaires and thermal scanners, but few sick travelers were detected.

Hong Kong screened 36 million passengers and detected two cases, and Australia screened 1.8 million people arriving, and four cases were detected by border screening, according to a 2005 medical study.

Canada screened 4 million passengers and detected no cases, and Singapore screened 400,000 people entering the country and detected no cases, according to the study.